Ben Harrison is one of the truly remarkable men who call the island home. When I first arrived here many moons ago there was a Keys Country Music Association. Gary Chase was president. We held our first concert at Knight's Key on a flatbed truck with a parachute floating overhead. There were guest artists from Nashville and famous locals Dan Mulberry, the Key Lime Pie Band, the Survivors, and a singer/song writer name of Ben Harrison, who had a brand new CD, "Getting Bald and Going Barefoot". Ben was a fixture at the Bull back then, yet to write his first book or first musical play.
The book was about the infamous Count Von Kossell. The musical was about that and other important Cayo Hueso events. Both were wonderful.
Tonight Ben is once more releasing a new book, this one about baseball. But tonight is showcase time at the Pier House. Larry Smith is working his magic on the crowd. He sings "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and my personal favorite oldie "The Way You Look Tonight". Bill Simons sings "A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square". He has a very nice romantic sound that encourages two couples to dance. Mike Bunis performs as, does Jerry Hendrix, both wonderful as always. Now it's Ben's turn.
Ben Harrison is a fantastic performer. His voice is strong with great tone and style. The songs are his own. Ben writes with brilliant insanity. First we hear "Rocky", a true story about a Chihuahua that impregnated a Rottweiler a few years ago (only in the Keys).
Then we hear a tune about one of the Red Door's working girls. "She's a Party That's Gone On Too Long". Now we hear a lament, "I'm Just a Ball Lost On the Golf Course Of Life" (it's been that way since I was hit out of sight). Now you're realizing that Ben's songs are, shall we say, different! "Affordable Housing" touts "An apartment for rent, no kids and no pets, no parking, etc., etc., three thousand a month", the kind of thing we hear all the time in Cayo Hueso.
Ben is writing a new musical with Richard Grusin about corruption. From it we hear "There's a Watchbird Watching You" and "Amber's Blue". Then it's back to some of our old favorite Harrison tunes, "Here Comes the Conch Train", "I Think Darwin Understood", "No One Ever Listens To Me", "Undying Love", and a tune from that musical about poking a pickled person.
Ben tells us he appeared on Howard Stern's show to talk about "Undying Love", the Count Von Kossell story. When they finished Howard told him, "You're sick"!
Ben didn't enjoy "The Bridges Of Madison County", so he wrote "The Bridges Of Monroe County'. From "A Musical Tour Of Key West" we heard "The Poultry Operetta", "Diabolical Deception" which says "two girls are better than one, double your pleasure, double your fun", and end the show with "They're All Guessing" (people act like they know what they're doing). He's zany, he's warped, he's sublimely talented,and he's fun!
Watch for Ben to do another Sunday Showcase. Then you can become a fan too. Oh, did I tell you that in his spare time Ben's an attorney?
Stay cool.